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Cairngorms

High Winds and Helping Hands – The Ninth Frostbite Report…

Every winter in Scotland is a lottery when it come to the weather.  I’ve experienced everything from snowdrifts to sunburn and blue sky to thick fog.  Driving north to the Cairngorms, my friend Ian and I were buffeted and bashed even at lower levels.  We drove to the Cairngorm Mountain Ski Centre for a quick look at the conditions before checking into our accommodation.  We opened the car doors and almost took off.  The next days foray into the hills saw us beat a hasty retreat when the wind speed picked up to hair-raising and visibility dropped to nil.  For some, this would be scary to say the least.  In my world – welcome to the mountains.

Read More »High Winds and Helping Hands – The Ninth Frostbite Report…

Old Friends, High Winds and Clotted Cream – The Fourth Frostbite Report…

Telemark-tour

I had been watching the weather and avalanche forecast for weeks before I headed north to the Cairngorms with my friend Ian.  The web was full of reports of horrific looking conditions, with deep snow and driving winds battering the highlands.  Thankfully the journey north was swift and ridden with only with tea and pies, but the first night was a bit disjointed…

Read More »Old Friends, High Winds and Clotted Cream – The Fourth Frostbite Report…

You and Yours – Here’s Me and Mine…

Cairngorm-Plateau

The 2012/2013 Scottish winter season has caught the eyes of the press on many occasions, due to the high number of avalanche victims.  There have been 13 deaths so far, with Journalist (and ex MSP) Dorothy Grace-Elder attracting much attention with her views.  Today, she appeared on the Radio 4 programme You and Yours, with the opinion that all Mountaineers should hold rescue insurance.  Here’s what I think…

Read More »You and Yours – Here’s Me and Mine…

Scotland the (not so) brave…

For almost 20 years I have climbed in the Scottish Mountains during winter. They hold a magical place in the history of Mountaineering and many pioneering climbs were done here before people moved to tackle peaks across the world. I have just returned from the Cairngorms where conditions were typically Scottish. When I say that I mean, nature bringing everything from beautiful sunshine to blasting blizzards in a day! I spent a week with two climbing friends in the Northern Corries climbing exposed ridges and snow gullies in very different conditions…Read More »Scotland the (not so) brave…